Tight Places
by K'lara7
Summary: Starts during 'One' at the end of season 4 and explains why Tom fears Tight Places, please R & R Caution At this point the story get very dark. Formatting correction.
1. Default Chapter

Tight Places  
  
By: K'lara7 (k_lara7@yahoo.com)  
  
Thanks to Sirap for helping me with the ides for this story. She helped me solve a major plot twist with a great story development in the Cardassian Prison. This was supposed to be shorter, and it looks like it might become more than one story since the characters did their own thing. Please review it and let me know what you think.  
  
This story begins during the episode One. I did try to be accurate in the time line.  
  
"Dismissed," said the captain.  
  
The senior officers stood and started out of the briefing room. The captain's words were ringing in their ears. As Lieutenant Tom Paris walked away he couldn't help the hopeless feelings washing over him as he walked into the mess hall.  
  
"Tom?" Ensign Harry Kim asked, concern etched across his features. The normally outspoken pilot was very quiet. "Are you okay?" Tom hadn't said a word since they entered the mess hall.  
  
"Yeah, Harry, I'm fine. Just thinking," he said distractedly. He walked across the mess hall to see the surprise Neelix had made for dinner.  
  
The little Talaxian brightened up when he saw Tom. "Hey Tom, I made you some of that tomato soup you like. I got the tomatoes from the hydroponics bay. I thought you could use a little taste of home."  
  
"Thanks Neelix. I really appreciate it. I'll take it to my quarters with me. I still have a few adjustments to make to Navigation for Seven."    
  
A few moments later, Tom entered his quarters. He set the cup of soup down on his table. It really was thoughtful of Neelix to take time to make the soup for him, but his stomach just wouldn't settle down enough for him to eat it. Ever since Janeway had made that pronouncement at the senior staff meeting, Tom had been trying to control he involuntary reactions. He never liked being in tight places and although that was not much of a secret, he was pretty certain that Janeway was the only one who knew why. Tom had no doubt that his father had long since told the Captain of his son's irrational fear of enclosed spaces.  
  
He knew the Captain understood. In her own way she tried to comfort him with out being too obvious. He had been in such a rush to be alone, before anyone realized just how upset he was. Seven estimated it would take a month to get through the nebula. That would be at least 30 days confined to a space the size of a coffin, not the most comforting thought.  
  
Restlessly Tom gazed around his quarters. Remembering the last time he had been confined to such a tight place, he tried to hold back the shudder. On the wall next to his bed Tom had a small paper holo-mage of Harry, B'Elanna and himself taken by Neelix at the resort about six months before. The image represented his life on Voyager; the two people in the picture with him were the most important people in his life.  
  
When he thought about the stasis chamber he had the irrational fear that he might not ever come back out. He knew he was being irrational but the feeling refused to dissipate. Time can't heal all wounds.  
  
Absently he grabbed the picture off the wall. With a sigh he sat down on his couch. He had been lying to Neelix when he said he still had work to do. He had most of his work caught up. That was an unusual occurrence, but ever since the incident with Seth, he had been early with his reports and diagnostics.  
  
A chirp from his combadge and the Captain's voice shook him out of his thoughts. "Lieutenant Paris, please report to the briefing room."  
  
"On my way," he responded absently. Impulsively, he removed the picture from its frame, and before he could change his mind, tucked it into his jacket. He rushed out of his quarters.   
  
"Tom, are you okay? I know this decision is hard on everyone, but I think it is hardest on you." Janeway looked at the young man with concern.  
  
He thought about his answer for a moment. Over the years he had learned to temper his personal comments about his shortcomings. "Captain, I understand the necessity for the stasis chambers, and realize that there really is no other possible solution. If you had asked me ten years ago to do this, there would be no way I could. I will do my best to deal with it. But I don't like it."  
  
"You know if there were any other way that wouldn't add a year to our journey, I would take it. The last thing I ever intended was for you to have to go through that ordeal again. When your father briefed me on the situation, we honestly believed it would never come up. I'm sorry about this Tom."  
  
"All I ask Captain, is please don't let the others know. Including the Doc. I'm sure I can handle it."  
  
"It goes against my better judgment. The Doctor should be informed at least." She thought for a minute. "I will leave it up to you to make that decision however. I'll see you on deck 14 in 2 hours. Dismissed."  
  
"Thank you Captain," Tom said, barely above a whisper as he left her office.   
  
***  
  
"Kim to Paris," Harry said as they left the turbo-lift together.  
  
Tom shook his head as if to clear it. "Yeah?"  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine, Harry. I was just thinking about B'Elanna. We didn't have much time to talk after the Captain gave her orders. Her stasis chamber is in the other Cargo Bay. Besides, you know how much I look forward to assignments like these."  
  
"I don't get it Tom. You have no problem being confined to a shuttlecraft. It's a small place, without any escape if something goes wrong, yet that doesn't seem to bother you."  
  
"Harry you forget, there's always the EVA suits."  
  
"Yeah that's true," he said with a chuckle as the Cargo Bay doors opened. The Doctor was in final preparation for the extended time in stasis for the crew. The Captain was reviewing final data on Seven's agenda.  
  
***   
  
In Engineering Torres was finishing up the automation sequence for Seven. "At these sustained velocities, you will need to perform a diagnostic on the warp coils and EPS manifolds at least every other day. Preferably more often."  
  
"I understand Lieutenant. You have provided efficient data information for the next month. I will be able to maintain it."  
  
"I know I'm nervous about this whole mission Seven. I've never been away from the engines this long before."  
  
"They will still be here, in one piece when you wake up."  
  
With a slight smile B'Elanna said, "Thanks. I have to report to the Doctor. See you in a month." She turned and left Engineering.  
  
***  
  
Three weeks into stasis, Seven was walking her rounds as an unexpected noise got her attention. Finding Paris unconscious on the floor, she tapped her combadge. "Seven of Nine to the Doctor. Mr. Paris has left his stasis chamber again." As Seven stood to order the emergency transport, she noticed a piece of paper poking out of the edge of Tom's jacket. Pulling it free, she saw that it was a small image of Paris, Torres and Kim.  
  
"Doctor, I'm transporting him now."  
  
***  
  
Ten minutes later, Seven walked into Cargo Bay 2 and stood looking over at Tom's readings. They were normal and the Lieutenant would be okay. Remembering the picture she still held, she tapped a few buttons on the shell of the stasis chamber and cracked the lid. The Lieutenant started coughing and gasping, still in sleep. Quickly attaching the picture in visual range on the edge of the chamber, Seven resealed the lid.  
  
"Doctor to Seven of Nine."  
  
"Seven of Nine here."  
  
"Could you check Mr. Paris's readings, my monitor says there is a problem."  
  
"Mr. Paris is stable."  
  
Seven stood there for a few minutes and then shook her head slowly, wondering how many more times she would have to put him back into his chamber. He seemed to be resting more peacefully now. Once again shaking her head, she continued with her duties.  
  
***  
  
In the mess hall a week later, Paris, Torres, and Kim sat quietly reflecting on the last month as Seven walked in. As Seven joined the conversation she heard Paris say, "Just think, we could have died in those coffins."  
  
Seven raised an ocular implant at that. "Lieutenant, I'm sure you would have found a way out before that happened."  
  
"What do you mean?" This came from Torres.  
  
"On three separate occasions, the Doctor and I had to return the Lieutenant to stasis after he managed to escape his chamber."  
  
"What, did someone lock you in a closet when you were a kid?" Harry asked.  
  
"Look, I just don't like tight places, I don't know why," Tom said just a little red faced, hoping Harry would let it drop.  
  
Seven, noticing his discomfort, decided to come to his rescue. Remembering the picture and reflecting on her own experience asked, "Perhaps you dislike being alone?"  
  
***  
  
Hours later, back in his own quarters, Tom stood staring at the picture on his wall. It seemed amazing to him that Seven, so out of tune with humanity, could sometimes unlock human emotions so well. She was right he didn't like being alone.  
  
He had wondered who had put the picture on the edge of his stasis unit. It was Seven. She had come by his quarters a few minutes ago to return it. When Tom awoke from stasis he had been surprised to find it in plain sight. Thinking the Doctor would refuse to let him keep it, and not wanting to admit to his fears, he had put in his jacket. While he was in that coffin it was his one link to reality. He still lived in fear that one day he would be enclosed and his memories would take over and he wouldn't remember why he was trapped.  
  
God, he hated feeling trapped. He always had to be in control, have access to the exit. It had taken years, but he thought he had control of his emotions. If what Seven said was true, then he hadn't been able to control his emotions this time.  
  
The door chime brought him out of his thoughts. "Come in," he called.  
  
"Tom?"  
  
"Hi B'Elanna. What can I do for you?"  
  
"I came to see how you were. You left the mess hall so abruptly earlier, that I was worried about you."  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
"If you say so." She walked in, sat down on his couch with a PADD in hand and said. "When you're ready to tell me what's wrong, I'll be here. But I warn you, Klingon's can be stubborn and I'll be sitting here until you tell me what is really bothering you." She noticed something in his hand. " What's that?"  
  
He had forgotten that he was still holding the picture. "Nothing," he said, a little embarrassed. Not expecting a different answer, she had already made a move to grab it. "Hey, give that back!"  
  
Turning it over, B'Elanna was surprised to find a picture of herself with Paris and Kim from their time in Neelix's resort. As she handed it back to him, she said, "Okay, Paris talk."  
  
"It's nothing." At her look he said, "Okay, just give me a minute." Not sure where to begin, he started with the picture. "I took this picture with me when the Doc put us in stasis so I would have a small piece of my life on Voyager to keep with me."  
  
"But the Doctor said we couldn't take anything with us."  
  
"I know. I smuggled it in. Seven just returned it to me." Taking a deep breath he said, " When I came out of stasis the image was attached to the chamber where I could see it. Seven found it when she had to put me back into the chamber the third time. She said that after she put the picture where I could see it, I quit trying to break free." He was quiet for a moment. "Seven was right you know. I dislike being alone."  
  
B'Elanna grabbed his hand and pulled him down beside her. Slowly she wrapped her arms around him.  
  
"But you have probably already guessed that there's more to it than that. I don't like tight places. It's a long story. The summer before I started the academy, the Cardassian conflict had started to escalate. Dad was working on the Arias expedition with Janeway near Cardassian space. He'd been out of contact for a while.  
  
"I'd just broken an aeroshuttle craft record. You know how the press can be. The next Paris following in the family tradition." He gave a self- depreciating sigh. "Sometimes I wish I had crashed instead. I sent Dad a subspace message to let him know how I did in the shuttle we built together. He wrote back and told me how proud of me he was."  
  
"The next couple of days I hid from everyone needing time to myself. I got dressed in my flight suit, grabbed the latest radio controlled craft I had designed and took off to the Golden Gate Rec area…  
  
  
  
To be continued… (Please R&R) 


	2. Chapter 2

"Thomas Eugene Paris, you get back here!"  
  
"What, Mom?" The young man paused at the door. Tom was small for his age, about five and a half feet, and while everyone told him that he would grow soon, the fifteen year old was beginning to doubt that possibility.  
  
"Just where do you think you are going dressed like that? I hope you aren't planning to sneak into the simulator. You know what you promised your father."  
  
Tom stood there speechless. She was the only one who could render him that way. How was it that she always knew what he was up to? "But Mom…"  
  
"Don't start that. You know your Dad doesn't want you at the academy unless he is with you."  
  
Thinking quickly, Tom changed his plans. "Is it okay if I go to the beach and try out my new shuttle?"  
  
"What about the fog?"  
  
"Mom… It's San Francisco; we always have fog. Please?" He gave her the Paris trademark wide eyed look.  
  
"Oh, alright. But change your clothes and take you communicator."  
  
"Mom…"  
  
"If you want to go, you'll take your communicator. You know the rules."  
  
"Yes, ma'am," he said, knowing how she hated it.  
  
"Tom?"  
  
"Yes?" he asked giving her his innocent look.  
  
"You're pushing it."  
  
"Oh," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "I'll stop."  
  
"Good. Be home before dark."  
  
"Okay."  
  
Rushing back to his room he quickly changed out of his flight suit. Pulling out a beige two-piece jumper with a blue cotton shirt, he quickly changed clothes. Grabbing his new model, he ran out the door before his mother could change her mind. His mom did tend to be a little overprotective.  
  
The fog was out and he could see across the Pacific for miles. Tom could still see the Golden Gate so he wasn't too far from civilization, but he enjoyed the piece and quiet that felt like he was alone. It wasn't that he was a loner, it was just that lately he didn't want to spend time with anyone. The academy entrance exam was coming up and most of the time he wasn't able to relax and enjoy things around him. Because of his name, everyone was watching every move he made and making state issues out of nothing.  
  
****  
  
Tom stopped explaining what happened and looked at B'Elanna. "I was so frustrated with everything going on around me that I did something really stupid. I took my communicator off and attached it to my shuttle. I didn't want to wear it. When I wore it I always felt like the world was watching everything I did, so I figured that if anyone was monitoring the signal, I would really confuse them with the shuttle's movements. It took a little while to rig the shuttle for remote communication. I wasn't paying attention to anything else…"  
  
****  
  
Tom leaned over his shuttlecraft and finished adjusting his communicator signal. With the fog coming in visibility was decreasing and with his communicator wired to it he would be able to locate it if he lost the signal.  
  
He was so lost in what he was doing that he never realized that he was no longer alone until someone grabbed him from behind. In a panic, Tom struggled against his attacker, but the kid never had a chance. He felt something strike his head, felt a burst of pain and then nothing.  
  
To be continued… (Please R&R) 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
When Tom awoke he was in the dark. He didn't know where he was or how he got there, and wherever he was it was too dark to see anything that might help. His head was pounding, and when he tried to touch the spot where all the pain came from he discovered that his hands were tied together in front of him. He slowly leaned forward and put his hand to the back of his head. He felt something sticky and was pretty sure it was blood.  
  
He felt around and leaned against what felt like a wall and used it to push up to a standing position. It took a moment for the world to stop spinning, when it did the boy started feeling around his space. He was pretty sure that it was a small, maybe 10 foot wide square concrete room with nothing else around him.  
  
There was the sound of trickling water so he was probably underground. Just as he had started to notice the feel of cold air against his skin the door opened and a young woman walked in carrying a torch. Through the shadowy light the torch cast against her face, Tom could tell that she wasn't human. She was of a race he had never seen before. A tall man for the same race came in just behind her. He was tough looking, with the build of a soldier. Both wore dark scaly looking clothing that seemed to be tight fitting. The woman had long flowing black hair, while the man's was tightly cropped to his head. They both had scaly ridges on their faces that framed their forehead and in the center was a circle with a bump.  
  
They didn't look nice. "Who are you?" Tom asked trying to keep his voice from shaking. He got the feeling that any weakness would be a bad thing. This might just be one of those situations his father had always warned him not to show emotions.  
  
"Silence, boy! You will not speak until we allow you to!" The woman said as she knocked him to the ground with a powerful slap across his face. Tom looked up at her, his face already bruising. He was careful to keep the rage he felt concealed behind the mask that his father had taught him. "Katat, take our guest to the lab and have Dr. Moset run his tests. Then make sure he is properly dressed and then send him to me. I have a few lessons I want to teach him before we take him to Cardassia. Have Dukat prepare the shuttle. We leave tomorrow, first light. And make sure the imager is fully functional. I want to make sure Starfleet thinks our shuttle is one of theirs." The woman reached over and cradled Tom's chin in her had. "Such a beautiful face, when this is done I might just keep you. I can always use a new pet." She laughed at the defiance she read in the lad's eyes. "Yes, you will make a fine addition to my collection. Katat, I would like you to see if you can find a slave collar and wrist guards for him as well." With that, the woman turned and left the room.  
  
Katat grabbed Tom by the collar of his shirt and started pulling him down the hall. The Cardassian's stride was so much longer than Tom's; he had to run to keep up. In his effort to keep from falling, Tom was unable to get any kind of idea of where they were going. A few moments later they entered a science lab filled with scary looking gadgets. In the center of the room there was a table with straps that resembled something out of that bad Frankenstein movie he had watched recently. There was some kind of standing restraint system that looked like a whipping post. Next to the table there was a medical tray with wicked looking knives and needles that looked like something out of the history books. Along the walls were computer consoles that apparently recorded all of the activities and research the doctor did.  
  
"Moset!" Katat shouted. "I got a live one for you!" The doctor came out of the room next to the lab.  
  
"He's human. That'll be a nice switch. Did she say how long I get to keep him?" the doctor said as he circled Tom.  
  
"No, but I would assume that you would have until we clear the Terra system. You will have to be gentle though, doctor. She wants him back to add to her collection. When you're done with him he will need to be sent back in proper slave dress, and I would limit any marring of the flesh. Tenderize, but don't pulverize." With that the soldier turned and left the room, and the doors closed behind him.  
  
**** 


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, I don't own them, and I've forgotten to mention that obvious fact, so I do so now. I'm sorry it's taken so long. I've had a lot of personal problems lately. Please tell me what you think of this so far.

Chapter 4

Moset turned his full attention to the boy. He noted that the kid was healthy, looked very well cared for and had the pale features, the blond hair and bright blue eyes that made him a valuable slave. That is, if he survived what the Cardassian government might have in store for him. The doctor turned and picked up a tricorder like device. Turning it on he turned to the boy, "What is your name?"

The lad didn't answer him. "You would be wise to cooperate with me. I will get the answers I want, the easy way, or the hard way."

The doctor turned away and called out a name. A young Cardassian woman walked out of the same room the doctor had just come from. 

"Corat, it would seem we have a new guinea pig. We will need to prepare. He is human and I have a few experiments I would like to run. Now boy, what is your name?"

"Thomas," he said, anger flashing in his eyes.

"You have fire, I see. Well, that won't last. Come this way." He grabbed Tom by the arm and dragged him over to the far counter. "Corat, I need that serum. Prepare ten ccs and put it in the syringe. Our little friend is going to be the first to try it." He pulled Tom's arm flat against the counter and waited for his assistant to bring the item he requested. With all his strength, Tom strained to get away from the doctor.

Moset turned Tom's wrist, tweaking it around to the point where Tom was sure he would hear the bones snap. He cried out in pain, and the doctor relaxed his grip when Corat arrived. "Hold him down so I can inject him." She leaned forward and braced Tom's arm to the counter applying enough force that he couldn't fight her off. 

"Let me go," Tom spoke through gritted teeth. 

"Ah, but were not done yet," the doctor said as he shoved the needle into Tom's skin. At first the shock of the needle just caused a minor pain in his arm. When the contents of that syringe made a connection with his blood stream, he felt like his world was on fire. He couldn't stand from the pain that shot down his arm. He started to fall to the floor and Corat caught him. As soon as he could stand, Moset dragged him over to the table and somehow stripped him down to his underclothes. 

They threw him onto the table and strapped him down. "I need that finger monitor on his hand. If the serum does what it's supposed to, his heart rate will go critical in just a few minutes and I'll have to give him a stimulant to get it back up."

"What exactly is it we gave him?" she asked as she started attaching the monitors while the doctor tied the straps down. 

"It's a blood enhancer. It should change his blood to modify the nervous tissue in his body. It takes months for the full effect to be seen and has side effects, but the results have been amazing in my other laboratory animals. This is the first time I have been able to test it on a humanoid."

"Could it kill him?"

"Possibly."

"You don't seem to worried about that fact."

"I'm not. If it happens, it happens. In the mean time, the side effects will keep him from trying anything stupid, like attempting to escape. Now I need the scalpel. I want to get a few skin samples to use as a base line."

Slowly, while the two of them talked, Tom started to regain control of his arm as the pain began to dissipate. He started shaking as the adrenaline wore down and the drug coursed through his body. The doctor came over with a skin graph marker and scalpel in hand. "We need four skin patches now and we will need five more in a week when the serum has been in his blood stream for a while. Well, boy I don't think I need to tell you that this will hurt. You can cry out if you would like, I won't mind at all."

Tom flinched back as the doctor took the dermal marker and drew small squares on his arms and legs. Moments later the doctor applied the scalpel to the marks and started to remove the top layer of skin from the patch. The wounds were shallow but they had started to hurt, and Tom flinched backward and moved as far away as the restraints would let him go. As the pain increased Tom vowed not to make a sound. 

"You know, a little noise would be appreciated. After all, I'm sure this has got to be painful." A moment later, Tom closed his eyes. 

Corat yelled, "Doctor, his pulse is dropping. Respiration is slowing."

"Quick, get the oxygen mask and set it to 60%. That will keep his saturation normal. The drug is working faster than I expected it to." 

"His heart rate is returning to normal."

"Good. We might as well clean up. He should be out for a few hours and I'm sure the Commander will want him returned to her."

****

Tom paused. He got up and went over to the replicator for some water. He took a sip, turned and looked back a B'Elanna. "After the doctor was done with me he sent me back to Katat, who had followed orders very well. I was forced to change into clothing fit for any good slave, and then sent back to the Cardassian woman, Commander Tokal of the Obsidian Order."

****

Katat walked down the corridor with the boy, wondering how far his Commander would go. They needed the boy alive, but she wanted a new toy. They came to the Commander's door. "Enter."

The boy started ahead. The lad's hands were free and he was now dressed in a white sleeveless shirt, white pants and sported white leather wrist guards and a white leather collar with a loop for a leash.

The Cardassian woman came out of a back room. "Ah, my new toy has arrived I see. Thank you, Katat. I'll take it from here. Please see that food is brought in." As Katat left, the woman started to circle around Tom in a predatory way. It was hard for him to stand, the pain from the doctor's experiments was almost overwhelming. The only thing that kept him standing was his will. As he swayed on his feet the woman said, "Go lay over there on the couch and sleep before you pass out. We'll begin your training tomorrow." She escorted him over to the couch and as he sat down, she linked a chain through his collar and locked it. "Just in case, we wouldn't want you to get lost, now would we?"

Tom laid back into the cushions. Even as tired as he was, he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. The doctor's experiments were still too fresh in his mind. Patches of skin had been removed and the good doctor had injected him with something that made almost every nerve in his body burn. 

Hours later, Tom awoke to the sounds of the door beeping. He shook his head to try and clear his mind. He was amazed that he was able to sleep at all. And now, he couldn't quite wake up. It must be the drug in his system. What did they give him?

"Well, I see you're awake. It's time to begin your training. Come with me. We'll go down to the lab. There are a few things I wish to show you."

She escorted him out of the room and down the corridor to a different lab than the one he had been in. This one was filled with pads, a projector of some sort and a mainframe computer. "I have a little reading for you to do. Over the course of the last few years Cardassia has been in negotiations with the Federation over the DMZ. We have decided that we are going to take more decisive action in these negotiations. What you are not aware of is that in the last few days, it was discovered that your father has been involved in a spying mission against Cardassia. As such, I was ordered to take you into custody to be used against your father, and to find out any secrets he might have passed on to you. 

"You have until we reach Cardassia to learn everything in these pads. Katat will keep an eye on you and bring you back to my quarters in a few hours." She reached over and picked up two PADD"s. "You can start with these. And I'll see you soon." She walked out of the room, passing Katat on his way in. "Take care of my pet."

Katat walked across the room and sat down. "Take a seat boy, you might wish to be comfortable, there is a lot to be learned."

In the next few hours, Tom heard more about the Cardassian government and why they were right in the Bajoran conflict than he ever wished to. He learned about the covert Starfleet missions his father had been involved in for the last few years. They told him about the DMZ and the Bajoran resistance and that by Cardassian law they had declared his father a traitor and as such they could punish Tom in his father's stead.

After the lesson in Cardassian supremacy and self righteousness, Katat escorted the boy to Moset's office, where the doctor was sitting behind his desk. "I've been told to bring him here to you, and that she wants him returned when you' re finished running your latest tests. I'll be back in two hours to get him. And don't exhaust him too much. I think she wants a little fight left in him."

Moset stood up and came around the desk. He grabbed Tom by the arm and dragged him out to the examining table. "Sit down and don't move. Corat, come in here please." The nurse walked in from the other room. "I need a full scan on the subject. Start with muscle tone and nervous tissue. Check the endocrine and respiratory systems and cross-reference your results with the scans from yesterday."

Moset turned and walked over to the far counter, where a little white rat like creature was sitting in a cage. "You see this creature, boy? He has the same serum running through his veins that you do. Foolish thing has no reasonable fear left in him. It's an interesting side effect; one I hadn't counted on. Emotion is not something I thought a chemical could control, but this creature no longer experiences them." Moset reached into the cage to grab the rat, and just as his fingers touched the animal it turned and bit his hand startling the Doctor. Tom shoved the nurse out of the way and grabbed at the nearest thing he could use for a weapon, a syringe. He had no idea what was in it, but he hoped it would be something the doctor didn't want in his system.

Tom backed up against the wall, dragging the nurse with him. "Stay back. I will use this." He held it up for the Doctor to see, then leaned in toward Corat, pushing the needle into her skin.

"Go ahead, it makes no difference. It still won't get you out of here." He nodded at Corat, and in the next moment the nurse shoved Paris back, not caring that she ripped the needle against her skin. Tom fell to the ground and Corat grabbed the needle out of his hand. Moset calmly walked over and took the needle. "That was most foolish, child." He back to the cage and shoved the needle through the bars into the rat and depressed the plunger. In moments that rat fell to the bottom of the cage dead. Tom stared at the carcass, and although he felt horror and regret, no emotion showed on his face. "Call Katat and tell him to come get the brat."

****

As Katat escorted him back to the Commander's quarters, Tom realized that he would probably never get to see his family again. The Cardassians had made him a pawn in this game of intrigue and they had no intention of letting him go alive. Dead was a possibility. He would have to find away to escape, or they would use him to capture his father and then there would be no chance at escape. They wouldn't need him anymore, and he would then be as good as dead. Katat watched him enter the Commander's room, but after the incident with the rat, he really didn't think he had to watch the kid. He let the boy into the room and then left.

Tom entered the room and looked around. As far as he could tell, the Commander was nowhere to be found. To his surprise, the Cardassian left him in the room alone. Looking around, Tom tried to find anything he could use as a weapon. Almost anything would work. Ricki, his sister's best friend, and a Starfleet ensign, had been teaching him basic self-defense and munitions. Almost anything could be turned into a weapon in the right hands. He went over to the Cardassian's desk and started sifting through the drawers, hoping to find a letter opener or nail file. He was shocked to find a Cardassian phaser. Since he didn't know anything about the weapon, he could only hope the battery was still charged and the setting was correct. 

Just then he heard voices in the corridor. "What do you mean you left him unattended? Are you stupid? He might be a child, but he is still the child of our most dangerous opponents. Never leave him unattended again!"

Tom didn't hear the response. He turned to the door and raised the phaser. His hands were shaking and he started to sweat. He could still hear her voice. "Leave me, I will deal with the child myself."

As the door began to open Tom trained the phaser on the figure walking in. She looked over at him to see the weapon trained on her. "Ah, I see you are as real an opponent as I thought. You will make a very good pet, once I get you trained. Now lower the weapon."

"Don't come any closer. I will shoot you."

"Oh, I have no doubt about that. But will you hit me? You'd better hope you kill me." She said as she started walking toward him. He raised the pistol higher and fired.

Nothing happened. He fired again and nothing. She was coming at him. Right now the pistol was useless, so he charged her and tried to hit her with the weapon. He managed a glancing blow before she knocked him to the ground, throwing her full body weight on top of him. He started struggling with her, trying to throw her off him. They rolled toward the desk and he managed to slam her head into the leg, but only angered her. She pulled back her fist and hit him on the chin, hard and he blacked out.


	5. Chapter 5

Tom came to sometime later.  His head hurt and his arms were pinned underneath him.  He tried to move them to get circulation, but stopped when he heard her voice.  She was sitting behind her desk.  "I see you are awake."  Looking around, Tom realized he was laying o her bed.  "You know, the phaser was a trap.  I'm not foolish enough to underestimate you.  I just wanted to see what you are capable of, and now I know.  You will not be left alone again.  In fact, I doubt I will leave you with anyone else.  Now that we have contacted Cardassia and we know we will arrived in 48 hours, I don't think I want to share you until then."

Tom tried to pull his hands out from under him, only to discover that a strong, thin chain had been connected the cuffs.  "Undo this chain."

"No, I don't think so."  She stood up and walked over to the bed.  "You see," she said as she sat down, "I like you completely helpless."  She brushed her hand against his chin, and then started undoing the buttons on his top with one hand, while running the other one down his chest.

"Stop," he said quietly.  The heat of her hands was burning his skin.  His face flushed pink in embarrassment.  "Leave me alone."

"No," she said as she leaned down to kiss him.  He bit her lip, drawing blood.  She pulled back her hand and slapped him, hard.  His ears were still ringing as he looked up at her.  The pain was causing tears to well up in his eyes.  She reached forward and grabbed his chin in her hand and applied pressure.  "You do something like that again and I promise you, you will wish to die.  Remember how painful that drug was that the doctor gave you?  That was mild compared to what I can do to you."  She shoved his face back into the covers, and then tore his shirt open.  She leaned over him and started kissing his chest.  

Anger and frustration washed over him as he tried to throw her off.  She leaned into him, pinning him to the mattress.  Against his will, Tom's body started responding to feelings he'd never felt before.  He shivered in fear, trying to stop the rush as she reached for the waste band of the shorts.  "Stop, please," he whispered.  She opened the band of the shorts, and shoved her hand in to cup him as she leaned forward to cover his mouth with hers, pressing so hard he couldn't pull away.  Tom felt his body changing, the lower half was definitely getting aroused and he tried to stop the feelings.  As she pulled back he asked one more time, "Please?"

She pulled the shorts all the way down and climbed on top of him.  He felt his body begin to betray him as she once again locked her lips with his and ran her hands down his chest.  "Stop. Now.  Leave me alone."  He kept trying to convince her to cease.  At some point she must have gotten to the point where she was done listening to him.  Tokal covered his mouth and pressed just hard enough to convince him that she would suffocate him if he continued.  The air was getting tight. Slowly he let his mind drift off to other things, trying to tune out what was happening.  In that moment he thought of Ricki and everything she tried to teach him.  He should have listened harder.  She had tried to show him how to protect himself and he'd failed.  He swore then that once this was over, he would never let anyone best him again.  He would learn to protect himself better.

Whatever happened after that, he would never be able to completely recall.  He had emotionally checked out of his body and didn't wakeup until morning.  When he awoke, Tokal was sitting behind her desk again.  As he sat up, he felt sore needle pricks all up and down his arms as the feeling began to return.  His hands were no longer bound and he reached forward to pull his shorts up then grabbed the edges of his shirt and closed it with his fist.  "There are clean clothes and bathing supplies in the washroom."

Silently, Tom went into the other room and closed the door.  The reflection in the mirror didn't even look like him.  His skin was translucent, there were fingerprints on his chin and there were shadows under his eyes and in his pupils.  No matter how hard he scrubbed, he couldn't get the feel of her off of him.  As he took off the ruined clothing he noticed bruises on his chest and arms, but couldn't recall how they happened. He changed his clothes.  The new 'uniform' was more comfortable.  A thin, black long sleeve shirt and lightweight baggy pants the same color.  The slave collar and wrist guards really clashed with the outfit, but it made him feel less exposed.

He finally gave up trying to feel clean and went back into _her room.  He sat down on her couch and just stared straight ahead at something no one else could see.  He would get his revenge.  It was just a matter of time.  A few minutes later, she stood up from her desk and picked up a cylinder.  She sat down next to him and turned his face to look at her.  He shook his head, knocking her hand away.  "You will stop this now.  I will not have you fighting me."  Then she gently turned his face once more and began moving the cylinder up and down over his bruises, removing the marks.  "You slept a long time.  We will be entering Cardassia's orbit in about three hours.  At which time the Gul Lutal will take custody of you until after his mission is over and then I get you back.  Do as he says and he won't break any bones."  She then leaned over and attached his wrist guards with a chain and then attached the leash to his collar once again.  _

She stood and dragged him over to the door.  "Katat, escort our prisoner to Moset.  The Doctor has been ordered to take him to the interrogation room."

*****

Moset was sitting in the lab going over the recent scans of his test subject, when Katat brought Tom in.  He stood up and walked over to the guard.   "So we shoud be near Cardassia anytime now?" he said.

Yes, Doctor.  You are to bring him to the interrogation room as soon as you run your final tests.  Tokal isn't sure we will get him back.  She thought you might want to finish up anything you were working on, just in case."

"Very thoughtful of her.  So far I have only been testing a new tolerance drug.  He will need the next dose, either way.  Tell the Commander I will bring him down in about an hour.

"Yes, sir."  

As the guard left Tom alone with the doctor, Moset called out to his nurse,  "Corat, bring me that syringe.  The boy needs his final dose.      

"Here it is."

"Thank you.  You may go now, if you want.  This final dose should have few side effects, certainly nothing like the last ones, and if it does have life threating side effects it hardly matters since they are planning on disposing of him.  I believe the Commander would like to keep you, and the Order has no reason not to give you back to her.  

Corat, inform Tokal that I am on my way with the hostage."  

Hours later, on Cardassia, Tom was beaten by two burly guards, then dragged into a small square room and thrown onto the floor, his head was spinning from the drug Moset had once again given him.  When he could finally push up from the ground, he looked up into the face of his father.  "Dad!"  Owen Paris had been beaten once already and was bleeding from just above his left eye and from the corner of his lip.  There were three Cardassians in the room with them.  

"Tom!"  Owen looked up at the Cardassian who had been working him over.  "Leave him alone.  He's not involved in this."

"Your wrong there.  You are a traitor to us, and that makes him fair game.  You will tells us what we want to know or we will start on your son next."  And out of fear for his son, Owen told them what he wouldn't tell them to protect himself.  He finished answering the Cardassian's questions, only to see them turn on Tom anyway.  Two of the soldiers took glowing rods and slammed them into Tom's chest.  He cried out in pain and slumped to the floor.  Moments later the guards carried Tom out of the room, leaving Owen alone with his three guards, wondering what would happen to his son.

Just then a forceful explosion took out a portion of the wall behind Owen and two Starfleet officers came in with phasers blasting.  All three Cardassians were cut down in an instant and the two officers, dressed in the black of Special Operations rushed in.  The man went to Owen and braced his arm around his neck to help carry him to their ship.  

"Ricki, they've got Tom."

"Tom?" the woman asked.  She looked around but couldn't find him.  "Owen, where's Tom?" Two other Special Ops officers came up.  "We've got Janeway to the ship already.  Paris is the only one left, let's go."

"Ricki, Tom's not here," Owen whispered.  "They took him down the hall."

"Griffin, get him to the ship.  I will go after the boy,"

"Lewis, you're not going alone.  We'll come back for the boy, that's an order."

"I'm disobeying it, sir."  She turned and went out after the Cardassians.  They hadn't gotten very far dragging Tom's dead weight.  Ricki raised her phaser rifle and shot both of them.  They went down instantly.

"Katat!"  Ricki looked up to see a female Cardassian Commander come around the corner up ahead.  The woman had her own weapon pointed right at her.  Ricki Lewis didn't have time to duck, and she was sure this was it…  She heard the phaser blast, but was amazingly still in one piece.  Commander Tokal fell to the floor dead. 

Ricki looked over at Tom, who was still conscious by will alone, standing braced against the wall, phaser in hand.  He must have taken it from one of the dead soldiers.  Tom looked up.  "Ricki?  I…"

"Yes, Tom, it's me."  She ran over to him checking for injuries with her eyes.  "We've got to get to the ship, now.  Can you walk?" 

"I'll have to, won't I?  I'm not staying here."  Just before they got to the shuttle, Tom's vision went blurry and he fell to the ground unconscious.  Ricki picked him up draping his slight frame over her arms in front of her.

When they came onboard the rescue ship, the _Victory, the woman set Tom down.  "Come on Tom, wake up."  She shook him a little as the doctor came up behind her. She felt the shuttle go to warp under her feet and knew the Cardassians would not pursue.  "Tom, come on, don't do this to me.  Wake up."_

She heard his breath whoosh out of him seconds before he opened his eyes.  "Ricki?"

"Yeah, Tom it's me.  I came to get you.  I promised you I always would.  Where do you hurt?"

"Here," Tom whispered pointing to his chest.  She moved to open his shirt.  "No!" he yelled trying to stop her from opening his shirt. 

"Tom, I have to.  I need to see it."

He let go of her hands and turned his face away as tears starting flowing.  She realized that even though she had known him since the day he was born, she had never seen him cry.  As Ricki opened Tom's shirt she gasped in outrage at the bruises that covered his chest.  As she pulled the shirt apart, she noticed that there were two burn marks in the fabric that went through to the skin.  "Doctor!"

"Let me in Ensign.  I need to see what's wrong."  As he got closer and saw the damage, he realized that the shuttle was not properly equipped to deal with cardiac burns and one of the marks was sitting right over the heart.  "Ensign, we need to get him into stasis, now.  I can't treat these burns here.  The Enterprise is closest, but they are still 2 days away.  If we want him to live, we need to do it now."  

"Yes sir.  Here let's get him to the cargo bay."  This time she picked the boy up across her arms and carried him.  He was still so small and light.  His weight barely phased her ad she carried him down to the cargo bay.  "She was whispering into his ear as the doctor followed behind her.  "Tom, you really need to gain some weight here.  You're so skinny a full breeze could knock you over.  When we get you out of this, I'm going to make you promise me you'll take better care of yourself."  The doctor walked around her and opened the stasis unit.  They had brought it along in case Janeway or Owen were too severely injured to be treated.  No one anticipated the possibility of Tom being here.  He was supposed to be home safe on Earth.  Special Ops had just received word that he was missing.  

When this was over she was going to find out what went wrong.  Tom was the closest thing she had to a brother and she refused to loose him this way.  The doctor opened the stasis tube and Ricki set Tom down.  As he started to drift into stasis, he opened his eyes and said, "I love you Ricki.  I …" And he was asleep. 

Hours later Ricki woke to an alarm sounding.  Tom had somehow deactivated his chamber from stasis.  The computer had been monitoring his life signs and when they started to fluctuate it sounded an alarm.  He was thrashing around.  "I will shoot you!"

"Tom, your okay, everything is fine.  We're almost home."

"Nothing's going to be okay now.  You'll never want me now.  I don't deserve you…" He paused and she though he had drifted back to sleep, so his voice surprised her when he whispered, "I told her I would shoot her, she should have believed me, she should have left me alone, why couldn't she leave me alone?"

"I don't know, Tom, I just don't know."  Tom fell back asleep as the doctor reactivated the stasis unit.

****

Tom looked up from the floor and finally met B'Elanna's eyes.  "That's the first time I've ever told anyone about that time.  The counselors tried, but I pretended I had amnesia and they left me alone.  I was cleared for the academy and no one asked any questions.  I can control most of the emotions now, the 'Paris mask' but not when I am in confined spaces and stasis units are probably the smallest space you can find for me.  I was placed in one for the three days it took to get to the Enterprise, where Doctor Crusher put me back together.  

"If that rod had gotten any closer to my heart, I never would have met you.  Doctor Crusher was amazed I lived and had no apparent residual effects."

"What happened to Ricki?  Was she the character in Sandrine's?"

Tom smiled a little, the first time she had really seen him smile since the nebula.  "I did model that character after her.  I'm not even sure why, except that whenever I needed a friend she was always there.  When I started making friends here, I let go of the character.

Ricki Lewis was my sister's best friend.  When I was five and she was thirteen I told her I was going to marry her.  She told me I was more like her brother and she would always be there to protect me.  When I started having problems with the school bully, Ricki taught me the defensive strategies she was learning in school.  

"She was always there to take care of me.  And when she met Robert, she let my ego down easy.  She got married a year before Caldik Prime and didn't know what happened there until I got sent to Auckland.  She started writing me once a month.  I was supposed to go visit her when I got out of there, but I took a pleasant detour along the way.  When we get home, I want you to meet her."

"I want to.  After all, she saved your life, I think that means she can sit at our table."  She paused.  "So do you think we will get home?"  

"Definitely, its just a matter of time.  If I didn't believe that, I never would have agreed toe the stasis unit so we would be able to get home.  I will make it happen."

*******

The End


End file.
